Unlocking Business Potential: Secure Internet Connectivity Across Asia-Pacific

In today’s hyperconnected economy, secure internet access is more than a convenience it’s a gateway to new markets, digital resilience, and sustainable business growth. A recent initiative by EdgeSpark and Network Equity highlights this potential by offering secure connectivity tailored to Asia-Pacific enterprises, enabling e-commerce, online payments, operational flexibility, and stronger ties with customers and partners.

Let’s explore how similar outcomes are already emerging across Asia-Pacific from the bustling islands of Sri Lanka to remote Vanuatu and Timor-Leste powered by enabling public policies and infrastructure investments.

Timor-Leste: Emerging Connectivity for Enterprise and E-Government

Timor-Leste’s Digital 2032 strategy lays the foundation for broad-based connectivity, targeting e-government, digital education, e-health, and agricultural services critical drivers of economic inclusion and enterprise empowerment

Key developments include:

• Deployment of a submarine fibre-optic cable, expected by mid-2025, which is anticipated to halve wholesale bandwidth costs

• Expanding 4G/LTE coverage across all 13 districts currently covering roughly 90% of the territory while tackling the challenge of low fixed broadband penetration

• Licensing of satellite providers like Starlink, opening possibilities for remote businesses to tap into fast, reliable internet

For businesses, these initiatives translate into:

• New market access via enhanced digital tools for trade and outreach.

• E-commerce readiness, supporting platforms that reach beyond urban centers.

• Resilience through diversified connectivity paths—fibre, mobile, satellite—all potentially underpinning online payments and cross-border trade.

Sri Lanka: Advancing Digitisation and Digital Payments

Sri Lanka is a compelling example of public policy enabling secure internet use for businesses:

• Starlink received preliminary approval, in a fast-tracked move to expand rural internet access and integrate renewable energy synergies

• The launch of GovPay in early 2025 marks a leap in digital government services, offering centralized, secure online payments for businesses and citizens alike. It streamlines transactions—such as traffic fines and tolls—through integration with mobile and internet banking .

• At the structural level, ICTA (Information and Communication Technology Agency) spearheads ICT policy, infrastructure development, and innovation—creating an enabling environment for private sector digital adoption

• Telecom provider SLTMobitel offers widespread 4G, 4.5G, and fiber services, enabling high-speed enterprise connectivity across the country

The impact on businesses includes:

• E-commerce and online payments integration with public services through GovPay.

• Improved operations via high-speed broadband for cloud services, communication, and digital marketing.

• Resilience and inclusivity, especially in regional areas where satellite backup or mobile networks may fill gaps.

Vanuatu: Building Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience

Though small in scale, Vanuatu’s strategic vision demonstrates how connectivity and policy support underpin business development:

• Its National ICT Policy commits to expanding access to ICT infrastructure, promoting e-government, education, and private sector development—even in remote and dispersed communities

• Universal Access Programs and community grants, administered by the Telecommunications Regulator, target underserved areas to ensure sustainable service delivery .

• On the resilience front, the National Cyber Security Strategy 2030 and associated policies (e.g., on harmful communications and data protection) are strengthening trust and digital safety, foundations for secure online business operations

• Kacific’s satellite services, owned and operated regionally, provide high-speed broadband to remote island communities—an essential infrastructure layer for business connectivity across Vanuatu and beyond .

• Additionally, renewable energy projects—like solar electrification—are rapidly raising access levels, powering ICT use sustainably in rural areas

These policies and initiatives support:

• Operations those businesses that rely on reliable, affordable internet—even where traditional infrastructure is sparse.

• Market expansion, enabling remote businesses to sell online or communicate with suppliers.

• Resilience and trust, essential for digital transactions and partnerships, backed by data protection frameworks and cyber strategies.

Common Outcomes Across Diverse Contexts

Despite varied geographies and language groups, these countries share common trajectories enabled by policy and infrastructure

These shared outcomes affirm that secure internet access designed with business needs in mind can unlock enterprise potential, promote economic inclusion, and reinforce resilience across languages, cultures, and islands.

The EdgeSpark Promise in Context

The promise of “Secure Internet Connectivity for Businesses in Asia-Pacific” highlighting market expansion, e-commerce & payments, operational resilience, and partner connectivity is not hypothetical. Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu, each in their own way, show that well-crafted digital infrastructure and governance work in concert to deliver those very outcomes.

As markets evolve, demand for digital tools grows across language groups and regions. Secure connectivity becomes the infrastructure that enables businesses everywhere whether in Dili, Colombo, or Port Vila to thrive in the digital economy.

References

• Timor-Leste’s Digital 2032 Strategy, mobile coverage and submarine cable developments

• Sri Lanka’s preliminary approval for Starlink, GovPay initiative, and role of ICTA and SLTMobitel

• Vanuatu’s National ICT Policy, Universal Access strategy, cybersecurity frameworks, Kacific satellite infrastructure, and renewable energy expansion